How Does Google Make Money? The Most Expensive Keywords in AdWords

How does Google make its money? On the heels of Google's blow-out Q2 2011 earnings announcement last week, we wanted to find out the most expensive keywords - what keywords demand the highest costs per click and are most competitive in terms of high search volume.
Since the vast majority of Google's profits come from AdWords advertising, these high CPC keyword categories are responsible for a large part of Google's profits. The results of our research are illustrated in an infographic of the most expensive keywords. (Click the image to enlarge the google adwords keywords infographic.)

Table of Contents:

• Google CPC
• Expensive Keywords
• Bidding Tips
• Bid Info

The 20 most expensive keywords categories with the highest search volume (i.e. the most used keywords) and highest costs per click, thereby netting Google the most money, are:

1. Insurance (example keywords in this category include "buy car insurance online" and "auto insurance price quotes")
2. Loans (example keywords include "consolidate graduate student loans" and "cheapest homeowner loans")
3. Mortgage (example keywords include “refinanced second mortgages” and “remortgage with bad credit”)
4. Attorney (example keywords include “personal injury attorney” and “dui defense attorney”)
5. Credit (example keywords include “home equity line of credit” and “bad credit home buyer”)
6. Lawyer ("personal  injury lawyer," "criminal defense lawyer)
7. Donate ("car donation centers," "donating a used car")
8. Degree ("criminal justice degrees online," "psychology bachelors degree online")
9. Hosting ("hosting ms exchange," "managed web hosting solution")
10. Claim ("personal injury claim," "accident claims no win no fee")
11. Conference Call ("best conference call service," "conference calls toll free")
12. Trading ("cheap online trading," "stock trades online")
13. Software ("crm software programs," "help desk software cheap")
14. Recovery ("raid server data recovery," "hard drive recovery laptop")
15. Transfer ("zero apr balance transfer," "credit card balance transfer zero interest")
16. Gas/Electricity ("business electricity price comparison," "switch gas and electricity suppliers")
17. Classes ("criminal justice online classes," "online classes business administration")
18. Rehab ("alcohol rehab centers," "crack rehab centers")
19. Treatment ("mesothelioma treatment options," "drug treatment centers")
20. Cord Blood ("cordblood bank," "store umbilical cord blood")

We found that that 97% of Google's revenue comes from advertising on Google sites. In the last four quarters alone (Q3 2010-Q2 2011), Google brought in $32.2 billion in total advertising revenue.

Google CPC: Google's Highest Cost Per Click Keywords

Google AdWords is a dynamic, auction-based marketplace where advertisers bid on keywords to compete for top ad placement. The minimum bid per keyword is 5 cents, but this research shows that in highly competitive categories, Google can make up to $50 per click from PPC keyword bids. Despite a diversified product portfolio, advertising on Google sites accounts for the vast majority of its billions in annual revenue.
The google adword keyword categories with the highest volumes and costs represent businesses with very high lifetime customer value – in other words, these industries can afford to pay a lot to acquire a new customer. These most expensive keywords comprise businesses such as lawsuits, mortgage applications, and server hosting. Some high-volume keyword categories have lower CPCs because advertisers have slimmer margins to expend on PPC advertising.

The Most Expensive Keywords: Survey Methodology

We compiled data from our own trillion-keyword database and the Google Keyword Tool to determine the top 10,000 most expensive English-language keywords over a 90-day period. This keyword list was then organized into categories by theme, such as "Insurance." The largest keyword categories were determined by weighting the number of keywords within each category, as well as the estimated monthly search volume and average cost per click for each keyword.

Tips for Bidding in a Super-Competitive, Expensive Google Adword Key word Niche

If you or your client are struggling to compete in a high-volume, high-CPC keyword category such as the most expensive keywords identified in this study, the PPC best practices are the same as always, except of course, the stakes are 1000x higher if you’re paying on average $50 per click vs. $0.05 per click. Here are a few tips to consider:

• Quality Score: High Quality Scores can help lower your average Google CPC. Tools like the Keyword Niche Finder and Keyword Grouper to break up larger keyword lists into smaller, more targeted lists which will enable you to write more targeted ad text and landing pages which should help improve relevancy and Quality Score.
• Be Specific: Target specific, 3-5 word keywords. Use a keyword tool to generate specific keyword ideas, and use keyword match types to ensure you’re only paying for keywords that are very specific to your business.
• Use Negative Keywords: Use a negative keyword tool to help figure out what kinds of words you’re likely to be matched against and weed out keywords that aren’t relevant to your business.
• Be Relevant
• Landing Page Optimization: The average conversion rate for just about anything on AdWords is around 2%. But we often see landing pages converting at the 20% or even 30% range. The key to landing page optimization is to keep trying out different types of offers and testing how people respond to them.
• Grade Your AdWords Account For Free: Use the AdWords Grader to get a free, instant audit of your AdWords Account to see how your AdWords account stacks up to the competition.

More AdWords PPC Keyword Bid Info

Visit the "Where's Google Making Its Money?" infographic for the full list of the top 20 most expensive Google CPC keyword categories and to embed the graphic on your own site.
Update (July 22, 2011): Check out the follow-up article to this study: Where's Mesothelioma, What Is Cord Blood & Other FAQs About Our Most Expensive Keywords Study.
Update (July 27, 2011): Click here to download a PDF version of this infographic.

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Free Backlink Generator, Search Engine Submission and Bulk Ping Service BulkLink.org

BulkLink.org is a service free of charge and geared towards SEO professionals, webmasters and internet marketers. It has a limited server capacity that allows on average ~5 parallel users. In case of a connection interruption, the site is designed to automatically re-connect and continue the submission process after the last successfull entry. All URL's are evaluated and verified before submission in order to avoid spam and/or illegal activity. BulkLink.org provides you at the submissions end with a PDF report that lists results summarized as well as in greater detail. If you like this service, please share and spread the word. Thanks! :)

http://www.bulklink.org/ 

BulkLink.org is a multi-URL, multi-submission service. It will expose your URL's to a huge amount of web-crawlers/spiders and speed up the time of getting listed and indexed on search engines. BulkLink.org does submission of multiple URL's in three categories: Pseudo Search Engine, XML-RPC Ping Service and Pseudo Backlinks.

Pseudo Search Engine Submission: It enters your URL's in the respective search engine search bar. Typically these entries get stored in an internal database and evaluated later on. A direct URL entry increases your chance to get your site noticed and then crawled by a spider.

XML-RPC Ping Service Submission: Submits your URL directly to a wide list of blog listing services that keep track of the current web ecosphere. An XML-RPC submission increases your chance to get crawled and noticed by the important services, leading to a potentially faster indexing of your content.

Pseudo Backlink Submission: Creates simple lookup requests on internet service related websites like Info, Statistics, About or Whois domains about your URL. After the submission, an URL gets usually added to an internal DB that itself gets crawled in short intervals by search spiders.

A "Bulk" is a generalized term for a submission to one of the services.

BulkLink.org passively assists in search engine indexing. Search engine indexing is the process of a search engine (e.g. Google) collecting, parsing and storing data for the later use by itself. Search engine spiders ("Crawlers"), are the means how the index retrieves information. Spiders visit websites and send the content found to the index. This "Index" is the place where all the collected data is stored. It provides the results for entered search queries. Pages that are stored within the index can appear on the search results page.

Without the index a search engine would be required to conduct a tremendous effort each time a search query is initiated. To ensure that it is not missing something, the search engine would have to search every web page and piece of information it has access to. The index is therefore the central element to keep web search feasible.

As the web grows, the index does so too: Google's index was estimated to be as big as 100 million (!) gigabytes in mid-2015. The index's architecture consists of 2 major components: "Design" is about how data is stored, "Structure" about how data is accessed and processed. Both determine the way the crawler's input is written to the index: Into account are taken the file format (html,pdf,...), language detected and meta data available. A SE like Google will also look into compressed archives as ZIP or RAR.

A user entering a search query orders the index to output a given amount of matched entries towards the next higher layer where "Ranking" takes place. Ranking is the process of sorting the results in order to display the most relevant on top. At Google, ranking is based on 6 major categories:

Site Quality	e.g. PageRank, Bounce Rate, Unique visitors
Freshness	Especially important on events happening right now
Safe Search	Removes adult, spam and harmful websites
User Context	Takes into account a users search history and location
Translation	Tailors results according to a users language
Universal Search	Decides on coresponding news, images, videos or maps

Google does also a manual evaluation of search results (called "Precision Search", processing a volume of ~40.000 sites/year). After ranking is complete, results are being shown to the user. BulkLink.org assists you in the first step, namely notifying the SE spiders to crawl your site.

BulkLink.org is a service free of charge and geared towards SEO professionals, webmasters and internet marketers. It has a limited server capacity that allows on average ~5 parallel users. In case of a connection interruption, the site is designed to automatically re-connect and continue the submission process after the last successfull entry. All URL's are evaluated and verified before submission in order to avoid spam and/or illegal activity. BulkLink.org provides you at the submissions end with a PDF report that lists results summarized as well as in greater detail. If you like this service, please share and spread the word. Thanks! :)

 

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Top hidden features tips and tricks of Windows 10A

Windows 10 is out and millions of people are already running it, let’s take a look at some of the best hidden features, tips, and tricks in the operating system. If you’re still on the fence, take note: You really do want Windows 10, despite a lot of the gripes we’ve shared over the past several months. It’s worth getting on the list for (or downloading the Windows 10 ISO directly). 


It combines the best of Windows 8 — super-fast startup, improved security — with much of what made Windows 7 familiar and easy to use, and without trying to force you to buy a touch screen or learn a whole set of hidden UI gestures.

And if you’re a computer nut like me, tweaking the OS is always the fun part. Discovering and implementing power user tips are my favorite part of getting a major new version of an OS. I still remember back when DOS 5.0 came out, and I was running DOS 3.3, and I got to try all these new things to optimize my 286. And when I upgraded from Windows/286 to Windows 3.0, I felt like my life had changed. (We’ve come a long way.) Nostalgia aside, here’s what you need to know to amp up your Windows 10 install and take it to the next level.

Set up GodMode

The awesomely named GodMode brings up a special menu that puts lots of settings together in one place. To enable it, create a new folder anywhere on your root drive and rename it GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}. It will create a special icon that when you click on it shows you a beautiful advanced control panel.

Task view and virtual desktops

One of the best things about Windows 10 is how it handles virtual desktops. The fact that it finally handles them at all, out of the box, is a great step, since Mac OS X and Linux users have had that capability for a long time. It lets you set up a series of tasks and windows on your desktop, your email and Twitter window on another, and a third for general Web browsing and research. To get started, click the Task View icon on the taskbar (immediately to the right of the Search box), or hold down the Windows key (abbreviated throughout as Win) and Tab. You can also drag an app to a new virtual desktop by bringing it over to the +New Desktop option at the lower right. (Click to read more on Task View and Virtual Desktops.)

Configure privacy settings

When you’re first setting up Windows 10, make sure to select a Custom install so you can modify the privacy settings, instead of going with the Express install. (If you already installed it, no worries; you can fix it all in Settings). Otherwise you’ll find yourself agreeing to all sorts of private data sharing — and while Windows 10 is free for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users, it’s not a free product in and of itself — so there’s no reason to share your personal information when it’s not required.

Make the desktop more stylish

Windows 10 lets you personalize your desktop more thoroughly than before. Head to Start > Settings > Personalization > Colors, and choose Show color on task bar and Start Menu. You can also tell it to automatically pick a color from your wallpaper and apply it underneath icons of open apps, and you can remove the Start Menu’s translucent option.

Print to PDF

You can finally print a document (or rather, save it) as PDF without using a third-party utility. This makes it much easier to save and distribute documents that aren’t easily modified. Another long overdue feature makes it in under the radar.

Make sure WiFi Sense is off

You may feel differently about this, but I certainly don’t like the idea of allowing access to my WiFi network unless I specifically give out the password. Here’s how to make sure your computer isn’t doing that — and if it is, how to turn it off.

Schedule Windows updates

Instead of getting ambushed whenever Microsoft decides to push out a patch, you can schedule restarts to install updates by going to Start > Settings > Updates and Recovery > Windows Update. You can do this for future updates as well by selecting Notify to Schedule Restart.

Run it in a virtual machine

If you’re thinking of taking the Windows 10 plunge, but don’t want to disturb your machine that’s currently running just fine, here’s how to install Windows 10 in a virtual machine first. Note that this is different than the virtual desktops I mentioned above; it’s virtualizing the entire OS within another OS (your existing one).

Windows Explorer Home tab and Quick Access

Windows Explorer windows are a lot more useful this time around, thanks to a new Home tab (pictured above). It makes file copies a cinch. If you look at the top left of the window, you’ll see a new Quick Access group that lets you navigate to recently accessed folders. That makes it much easier to maintain a fast workflow as you navigate around your computer’s file system. And while File Explorer defaults to the Quick Access view, if you don’t like it, you can set it back to This PC by choosing View > Options > Open File Explorer > This PC.

Customize the Start Menu

The new Start Menu is such a huge improvement over what came with Windows 8.1 that it’s almost impossible to describe the relief. It combines the best elements of Windows 7 and Windows 8. And it’s also fully customizable. You can resize tiles in the Start menu by right-clicking them and choosing Resize, and then selecting a size from the pop-up menu. You can also unpin them or uninstall them completely. I admit the first thing I did is unpin all of Microsoft’s tiles and then shrink the size of the menu so it looks a lot like Windows 7 (pictured).
For a while, during some of the Windows 10 Technical Preview builds, you could pin the Recycle Bin to the taskbar, which makes it a bit more like OS X. Unfortunately, that functionality seems to be gone in the release version, though you can still pin it to the Start Menu as a tile.

Command prompt tweaks

A lot of Windows 10 utilities underneath the service still look the same as they did in Windows 7 and Windows 8. But one of the hidden tweaks is in the Command Prompt — head over to Properties and you’ll suddenly find you can enable a host of customizations, including a transparent background, resizing the window, and word wrap.

Battery saver

If you’re on a laptop and your battery is running low, Windows 10 is smart enough to begin throttling back background services and other threads so that you can squeeze the last bit of battery life out of your machine. To enable Battery Saver, click the Start menu, and head to Settings | System | Battery Saver.

Background scrolling

Ever notice how when you hover your mouse cursor over a window and try and scroll, you still can’t, because the window wasn’t active? Turn this feature on in Settings | Devices | Mouse and Touchpad and you’ll be able to do just that.

Keyboard shortcuts

Here are some keyboard shortcuts you may want to be aware of — ones that will really help your daily workflow:

• Windows Key-Tab (Task View)
• Windows Key-Right-Up (Moves app to top right quadrant)
• Windows Key-Ctrl-Left or Right (virtual desktop)
• Windows Key-Ctrl-D (new virtual desktop)
• Windows Key-Ctrl-C (Cortana listening)
• Windows Key-S (Daily Glance for weather, news, sports)
• Windows Key-Ctrl-F4 (closes virtual desktop)
• Windows Key-Up and Down (snap apps to top or bottom of screen or maximizes)

OneDrive integration

Free cloud storage is a godsend these days, and Microsoft makes it super easy in Windows 10 with OneDrive. You can use it to store files for mobile device access from iOS or Android, and you can even set it to let you access any file on your PC remotely — not just the ones you drag over to your OneDrive folder.

Amp up Cortana

If you’ve got a laptop, or a desktop with a microphone attached, click the search field and select the Notebook icon on the left. Then click Settings and click “Let Cortana respond to “Hey Cortana.” Now Cortana will listen for your commands. Cortana can also use Google instead of Bing, even though Microsoft really wants you to use the latter. Install the Chrometana extension in Chrome, or just install Firefox and make that your default browser; both will accomplish the task of removing Bing from Cortana’s brain.

Use Maps offline

The new Maps app lets you work offline (Remember those old Microsoft Maps programs?); click Settings > Download or Update Maps, and then select the continent and country you want.

Xbox Streaming

Windows 10 finally shows some real Xbox integration, and you can use it to log into your Xbox Live account. But more importantly, you can use it to stream Xbox One games locally on your PC. You’ll have to enable it first on the Xbox One under Settings | Preferences | Allow game streaming, and then on the PC in the Xbox application. (Interestingly, Microsoft is also going the other way and adding keyboard and mouse support to the Xbox One — not that you’ll need that, since you’ve already got a PC.)

Record games and app videos

You can now record videos of apps or games using the Game DVR function. Press the Windows Key + G, click ‘Yes, this is a game box,’ and then you’ll see options to manipulate the recording.

Find the original Control Panel (and other goodies)

The new Settings panel is easy to navigate and makes more sense than the crufty old Control Panel, but you’ll still need the latter to access some deeper options in the system. It’s easy to call up, even though it’s hidden; just right click on the Start button on the bottom left of the screen and choose it from the pop-up menu, or type Control Panel in the Search bar at the bottom left in the taskbar. When you right-click the Start button, you’ll see all kinds of useful things there, such as Computer Management and Disk Management; for what it’s worth, those options bring you right back to the familiar Windows 7-style apps in each case.

Tone down Notifications

Notifications are a giant pain in Windows 10; there’s just too many of them, and some are unnecessary. Turn ’em off by heading to Start > Settings > System > Notifications and actions, and turn off Windows tips and specific app notifications (you’ll need to scroll down for the latter).

Fix the Office ads

Are you sick of the occasional Office ads that pop up on the desktop? So are we. To kill them, right-click on Get Office in the Start Menu and uninstall it.

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Best European Cities to Visit in 2016

Europe is a fabulous, bustling continent, full of culture, quirkiness and charisma. It is home to many extraordinary countries with fantastic cities that you simply cannot miss out on.
Europe and Asia meet in Istanbul, this year's #3 Travelers' Choice Destination in the World, where breathtaking ancient architecture coexists with modern restaurants and nightlife. The city's mosques, bazaars, and hammams (Turkish baths) could keep you happily occupied for your entire trip. Start with the awe-inspiring Sultan Ahmet Camii (Blue Mosque), visible from many points of the city. Stroll the Galata Bridge and stop by the Miniaturk Park to see its tiny artifacts. The Grand Bazaar has thousands of shops to browse, while the Egyptian Bazaar is a fragrant trove of spices and fruits.

10. Berlin, Germany.

This city has been underrated because of the disputes Germany has had, but rest assured, the city is one not to be missed. The hot summers and freezing cold winters attract many a tourist but the city itself is the main attraction. From the Berlin Wall to the Brandenburg Gate, the story of Germany is beautifully carved into the architecture of this marvellous city. The nightlife is a big hit with tourists as well, causing quite a stir across Europe. Berlin is simply unmissable for travellers of all ages.

9. Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Danish capital is definitely a great destination for the typical traveller. The old style city is beautiful, complete with a picturesque coastal view of the quaint little city, renowned worldwide for its beauty, tranquility and serenity. Copenhagen is bursting full of gorgeous gardens and intriguing castles, but it is the historical mysteries the really puts this city on the map. The Danes are home to some fantastic museums, monuments and architectural delights to interest everyone. From The Little Mermaid to the Nyhavn, Copenhagen is not to be overlooked.

8. London, England.

The British capital is an energetic, hyper active city, full of lights and laughter. You can enjoy shopping experiences that are unforgettable with the likes of Oxford Street fulfilling all your dreams. Buckingham Palace is a fab view for all the monarchy lovers while the Tower of London is a great place for anyone wanting a frightening history class. The traditional English food with afternoon tea is a hilarious experience for any foreign traveller. From the fashion industry to the blissful reality that is London, you will be sure to love your English adventure.

7. Athens, Greece.

This beautiful city is a superb city for any new traveler. It hosts a wide range of things to do, especially if you love history, like me. From the Parthenon to the Acropolis, the ancient Greeks were centuries ahead of their time and their wondrous architecture still stands today. Tours of the city are common as well with taxis and shuttle buses being the main means of transport. For the more traditional travelers, there is a wide range of stunning beaches to visit and soak up the sun. Greece is a travelers must.

6. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The Dutch capital is bursting full of character, charm and beauty. From cycles along the colourful streets to a ride along the canal, it truly is a gorgeous city. You can explore wonders such as the Anne Frank House to the Vondelpark and beyond. This vibrant, quirky city has to be a hit with any traveller. The Rijksmuseum is a fantastic opportunity to submerse yourself in an interesting history lesson while the Artis Zoo is fantastic experience for everyone. Amsterdam is top of the class in best European cities.

5. Dublin, Ireland.

The Irish capital is a fantastic city, full of fun and laughter. It is full of exciting things to do, especially for the pub-goers from hundreds of puns to a tour around the Guinness factory. The streets are packed full of vibrant music from buskers and is stuffed full of great items for all the family. The city hosts lots of fabulous restaurants for you to enjoy which a classy view of the River Liffey. The Irish will charm you into one of the best holidays of your life.

4. Paris, France.

This marvellous city has been a hit in Europe for centuries. From the towering Eiffel Tower, to the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe, Paris is a city full of surprises around every corner. The French are famed for this fabulous food and womanising attitude and is a must for anybody wanting to go on a romantic break. Sitting on the river Seine, Paris is one of the most breath-taking cities Europe has on display, and it must be a first on your European road trip.

3. Budapest, Hungary.

The Hungarian capital has become increasingly popular in recent years, with its natural charm and historical significance making it a must for any interested traveller. The old city vibe is swarming in this magical city. From historical buildings and museums to fun tours on bicycles and Segways, there’s a side to Budapest that everyone can explore. It has been made very prominent to in recent times after George Ezra’s hit song ‘Budapest’. The many speciality museums are becoming a hit with travellers as you can now explore what it was like living in a Jewish country during World War Two. This marvellous city has so much to offer and has to be a must in everyone’s bucket list.

2. Rome, Italy.

Italy’s capital is home to some of the most brilliant wonders Europe has to offer from fantastic food to amazing architectural wonders to the cheeky Italian charm, there is a Rome for everybody. Rome has been cited as they most beautiful European city, which also hosts the world’s smallest nation, the Vatican City. From the amazing Colosseum and Pantheon to the many churches and tours, this city is a place you have to visit.

1. Kraków, Poland.

Poland’s hidden gem is one of the greatest cities ever to appear. This amazing city is a must for any traveller, of all ages. From the dazzling Main Square, complete with St. Mary’s Basilica to the enormous shopping malls, it truly is spectacular. The quaint little streets offer many fun items and there are tours in the city and to places like the notorious Nazi camp, Auschwitz. This astonishing city is one of the best Europe has to offer with its vibrant personality and illustrated history. Kraków, in one word, is majestic.

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Prettiest Towns in United States

These beautiful towns are not only thriving economically, they’ve also got all you could want in a place to raise a family: plenty of green space, good schools, and a strong sense of community.

 

10. Edgartown, Massachusetts

 

Edgartown is a town located on Martha’s Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the county seat of Dukes County. Widely known as an exclusive enclave for the affluent and famous, the island is at its most charming in Edgartown, the largest and most expensive community on the Vineyard. Meticulously maintained Victorian sea captains’ houses and a beguiling collection of shops and galleries sit near the harbor. “Stroll about its manicured streets with some home-made ice cream from Mad Martha’s (a local institution since 1971) and you’ve got the makings of a perfect day,” says Arabella Bowen, executive editorial director at Fodor’s.

9. Key West, Florida

Closer to Cuba than it is to the mainland United States, Key West exudes a laid-back and casual vibe that is different than almost any other town in the country. It’s a place that marches to its own (usually steel) drummer. Take the kids dolphin-spotting, charter a boat to snag a marlin, or just relax on the beach beside crystal blue waters. And getting there is half the fun: the 127-mile Overseas Highway is the only road in or out to the mainland, and there’s no road in the country like it. If that’s not enough, Key West is also home to the only National Park that is accessible only by boat, Dry Tortugas National Park, where the snorkeling, diving, or just exploring are unparalleled.

8. Longview, Washington

 

Not even the port industry that clusters around the Lewis and Clark bridge can block the scenery of one of the Pacific Northwest’s most charming towns. “It is one of the only, if not the only planned community in the west at the time,” says Foster Church of “Discovering Main Street: Travel Adventures in Small Towns of the Northwest. “It was planned by a wealthy lumber magnate who decided to build two lumber mills in this location because it was close to the Columbia River.” He needed 14,000 workers to help run his two mills, so in 1921, he built a city that could house up to 50,000 people. Today, the town retains its old town lumber mill feel, and is home to the well-planned but serene beauty of Lake Sacajawea Park, which Foster says is “one of the most beautiful parks I’ve ever seen.”

7. Athens, Georgia

 

A university town that enjoyed a small measure of renown in the ‘80s and ‘90s, thanks to a fertile music scene which gave birth to the B-52s and R.E.M., among others. Athens is earning a more recent reputation as a post-industrial success story. Old factories have been rehabilitated and now house galleries and boutiques, but though the manufacturing may have left, the town still holds onto its identity with pride. “It has kept ruthless development at a minimum,” says Jason Cochran, editor-in-chief of Frommer’s.com. “You can still find avenues of those stately old Georgia mansions that the best towns retain. So you’ve got this vibrant blend of slouching red-brick warehouses and bold Greek Revival mansions.”

6. Tarrytown, New York

 

Tarrytown’s rich history, including being a throughway on the Underground Railroad, name-dropped by Washington Irving in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” and, later, one of the preferred Upstate getaways for New York’s rich and powerful, is visible wherever you go in this Hudson River-side town. Lyndhurst, the widely-regarded robber baron Jay Gould’s castle-like mansion in town, is toured by throngs of visitors every year. The town has played host to recreational and cultural options aplenty, including the famous (and former, running from 1971 to 2006) Tarrytown Film Festival, which was more of a film salon hosted by noted ‘70s and ‘80s film critic, Judith Crist.

5. Fort Benton, Montana

 

Fort Benton is a city in and the county seat of Chouteau County, Montana, United States. A portion of the city was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1961. Established in 1846, a full generation before the U.S. Civil War, Fort Benton is one of the oldest settlements in the American West. Founded as a fur-trading post in 1847, the town flourished well into the 1860s, when the Gold Rush cash was flowing back eastward. The railroad would eventually put the brakes on the town’s growth, however, but not before Fort Benton earned a reputation as the sort of place where disagreements were regularly settled with sidearms. “Jesse James and all the other characters used to have shoot-outs on these streets and you can relive it all on Main Street today,” says Andrew Evans, National Geographic Traveler’s Digital Nomad.

4. Breckenridge, Colorado

 

In a state known for its charming alpine ski towns, Breckenridge stands out both for its stunning vistas, charming streets, family-friendly vibe and – most importantly, for many visitors – unsurpassed proximity to a wide variety of world-class ski options. With giant peaks, more than 150 trails, North America’s highest chairlift, and a wide variety of options for everyone from the shakiest of beginners to the most jaded back-country daredevils, Breck really does have something for everyone. Though the town really comes to life from November through early April, there’s still a lot to do during the warmer months, from hiking to fishing to mountain biking.

3. Gatlinburg, Tennessee

 

With its charming, quaint old buildings in the centre of town, its dramatic mountain backdrop and the only ski resort in Tennessee, Gatlinburg has become a popular tourist destination for regional fun-seekers. Located on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg benefits from its location as a tourist draw and reinforces it with attractions such as an aerial tramway, an aquarium, white-water rafting, hiking, and even a haunted house. But let’s not kid ourselves: as pretty and irresistible the town is, the real draw in this part of Tennessee is the nature. “The wildflowers around Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are absolutely spectacular in the spring as they burst with wild-flowers at their peak,” says Zain Habboo, National Geographic’s director of travel.

2. Camden, Maine

 

Camden is a famous summer colony in the Mid-Coast region of Maine. Similar to Bar Harbor, Nantucket and North Haven, Camden is well known for its summer community of wealthy Northeasterners, mostly from Boston, New York and Philadelphia. “It’s like a movie set. In fact, it has often been a movie set.” Camden retains a certain salty grit and allows more of its working-class roots to show — though, like many New England seaside villages, the residents are more likely to be affluent these days. “Where the mountains meet the sea,” boasts the town, and indeed one of the best ways to see Camden is from a perch high above the harbor on nearby Mt. Battie. The white sailboats pepper the water in Penobscot Bay, and the waterside seafood beckons. Visit during September’s peak leaf season for an autumnal fireworks display of reds, oranges, yellows, and purples.

1. Newport, Rhode Island

 

Known for being the city of some of the “Summer White Houses”. Like a town stuck in time but with the occasional hole in the space-time continuum to allow for modern touches, Newport, with its stunning harbor and bevy of old homes, is the quintessential New England town. Newport’s fame began as a 19th century summertime visitors’ magnet of a town, and it still reliably draws in clusters of visitors, both for the daytime shopping, eating, and sightseeing options. At night, one of the town’s many music festivals or varied collection of bars draws in local students and stalwart party goers for good times that can run late and loud. But the town itself is chief among American small towns in the category of most well-preserved colonial homes and Gilded-Age mansions – a testimony to its tony residential reputation, and to its history as the summer destination of choice from 1953 until around 1963. It is also the location of an important collection of naval training centres.

Sources Forbes &  realestate.msn

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How to Meditate: 10 Important Tips

Here are some simple tips on how to meditate.
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1. Posture

Whether you sit on a chair or cross-legged on the floor, make sure that your spine is upright with head up. If you are slumped your mind will drift. Mind and body are intertwined. If your body is well-balanced, your mind will also be in balance. To straighten up, imagine that your head is touching the sky.

2. Eyes

Try and keep you eyes open. Open eyes allow you to be more present. Just lower your eyes and let your gaze be soft. If you close your eyes you will be more likely to drift away on thoughts and stories. However, it’s important to do what is comfortable for you. Some people find closing their eyes much more effective. It’s good to experiment and see what feels best for you.

2. Focus

In ordinary consciousness we are hardly ever present. For example, sometimes we drive the car on autopilot while being preoccupied with thoughts. Suddenly we arrive at our destination and don’t remember anything about the drive!
So, meditation is a wonderful way of waking up to our life. Otherwise we miss most of our experiences because we are somewhere else in our mind! Let’s take a look at what focus is. In ordinary life, we tend to equate focus with concentration. That’s like using the mind like a concentrated beam of light. But in meditation, that kind of mind isn’t helpful. It’s too sharp and edgy. To focus in meditation means to pay soft attention to whatever you place in the centre of awareness. I suggest using the breath as a focus. It’s like a natural door that connects ‘inside’ and ‘outside’. Zen Master Toni Packer says:

Attention comes from nowhere. It has no cause. It belongs to no one

3. The breath

Paying attention to the breath is a great way to anchor yourself in the present moment.
Notice your breath streaming in and out. There’s no need to regulate the breath – just let it be natural.

4. Counting you breath

If you are having difficulties settling, you can try counting the breath – which is an ancient meditation practice. On your outbreath, silently count “one”, then “two”, and up to “four”. Then return to “one”. Whenever you notice your thoughts have strayed far away or you find yourself counting “thirty-three”, simply return to “one”. In this way, “one” is like coming home to the present moment. It’s good to return without a backward glance.

5. Thoughts

When you notice thoughts, gently let them go by returning yous focus to the breath. Don’t try to stop thoughts; this will just make you feel agitated. Imagine that they are unwelcome visitors at your door: acknowledge their presence and politely ask them to leave. Then shine the soft light of your attention on your breath.

6. Emotions

It’s difficult to settle into meditation if you are struggling with strong emotions. This is because some emotions tend to breed stories in the mind. Especially anger, shame and fear create stories that repeat over and over in the mind. Anger and shame make us keep looking at past events of the past. Fear looks at the future with stories that start with, “What if…”
The way to deal with strong emotions in meditation is to focus on the body feelings that accompany the emotion. For example, this could be the tight band of fear around the chest or the hot roiling of anger in the belly. Let go of the stories and refocus on your body. In this way you are honouring your emotions but not becoming entangled in stories.

7. Silence

Silence is healing. I know that there are is a lot of ‘meditation music’ around, but nothing beats simple silence. Otherwise the music or sounds on the tape just drown out the chatter in your mind. When we sit in silence we actually get to experience what our mind is doing. There is steadiness and calmness that comes from sitting in silence. In time outer and inner silence meet and you come to rest in the moment.

8. Length

Start with 10 minutes and only sit longer if you feel the length is too short. Don’t force yourself to meditate longer if you are not ready to do that. In time you might like to extend your meditation to 25 minutes. That’s a length that allows you to settle your mind without causing too much stress on your body. Most importantly, shrug off any ‘shoulds’. Some people enjoy sitting for an hour at a time. Others find that they can’t sit longer than 10 minutes. Do what feels right for you!

9. Place

It’s lovely to create a special place to sit. You can even make a shrine or an altar that you can face when you sit in meditation. You might like to place a candle on your altar and objects that have meaning to you. It’s lovely to find objects for your altar as you walk. Maybe you find stones, or seashells, or flowers that speak to you.

10. Enjoyment

Most of all, it’s important to enjoy meditation. You might like to try sitting with a hint of a smile. Be kind to yourself. Start sitting just a little each day.

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Top 10 Education Tech Blogs

1. The Innovative Educator

If you have ever felt that school was boring or irrelevant, the Innovative Educator, Lisa Nielson, understands how you feel. Motivated by her own disillusionment with the way public schools today approach teaching, Nielson focuses on showing other educators ways that they can use freely available resources and technologies already within students’ grasps to make classes more engaging and relevant. Not only does Nielson deal with broad ideas about technology in the classroom, but also the nitty gritty details of implementation, so that teachers will be able to use her ideas without having to struggle against a budget process or other restrictions.

2. The Daring Librarian

Gwyneth Jones, the Daring Librarian herself, knows that librarians can have lots of fun. Approaching ed-tech with a sense of humor and plenty of Vines and cartoons to illustrate her stories, Jones writes a blog that entertains as it informs. Not only does she provide plenty of excellent content on new apps and ideas on how to use everyday websites as learning opportunities, but also a good measure of fun stories that will have you laughing out loud.

3. EdTech RoundUp

With weekly posts on the state of technology in education, EdTech RoundUp is the best place to go to find out the latest news related to education tech. The comprehensive coverage of news and recently released apps and devices allows you to find out the latest happenings in just one place every week. While this blog may not have as many original ideas as some other blogs in the field, the RoundUp provides you with the best place to keep informed on progress in the field.

4. Edudemic

Easily the largest hub for education content out there, Edudemic provides teachers with advice, ideas, and lesson plans to better integrate technology in the classroom. While a visit to this site may be a bit overwhelming at first due to the sheer amount of attention-grabbing content, you will always be able to find new ideas that make your visit worth your time.

5. MindShift

When you are tired of reading the same ideas over and over again written in different words on different blogs, head over to MindShift for something unique. Focusing on slightly edgier, more fringe topics within the educational technology field, MindShift opens your eyes to totally new ideas. With its wide scope and its dedication to sharing all unique opinions on education, MindShift will give you plenty to talk about with your colleagues.

6. Free Technology 4 Teachers

While ideas are great, implementation remains the biggest challenge for many teachers. A lack of resources and tools plagues many schools, making it more difficult to use technology in the classroom. Richard Byrne addresses this in his blog, Free Technology 4 Teachers. His well-organized site is a treasure trove of free apps, software, videos, and graphics that teachers can use in the classroom right away. Practical and clear, Byrne gives suggestions that even the least tech-savvy teacher can use.

7. Cycles of Learning

Who doesn’t like a good life hack? Ramsay Musallam recognized how useful hacks could be in classrooms, so he set up Cycles of Learning to share practical education tech hacks to make teachers’ lives just a bit easier. Once you see his TED Talk on sparking learning, you won’t be able to get enough of his content. By focusing on simple ways to inspire real learning in students using technology in the classroom, Musallam shows us that even learning can be hacked.

8. Edutopia

Hosted by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, Edutopia has plenty of well-indexed information on how technology can be used in classrooms. Since information is filed by age group and topic, teachers can easily get practical ideas that are relevant to their current curriculum without wading through lots of ideas that won’t quite work for their individual situations. With plenty of videos and fun quizzes, Edutopia can be a fun place to browse even if you aren’t looking for anything specific. Make sure to click on their “Trending Topics” section to find out what the hottest topics are currently in education technology.

9. Steve Hargadon

Don’t let the simple design and lack of flash fool you; Steve Hargadon’s blog provides plenty of worthwhile current information on educational technologies. A true ed-tech leader, Hargadon is the director of the Web 2.0 Labs, host of the Future of Education interview series, chair of the Social Learning Summit and the Learning 2.0 Conference, and co-chair of the annual Global Education and Library 2.0 worldwide conferences. As Hargadon is one of the top experts on educational technology, you can be assured that reading his blog will give you plenty of innovative ideas.

10. My Paperless Classroom

Sam Patterson, K-5 tech integration specialist, talks about his own experiences trying to implement tech ideas in classes in My Paperless Classroom. Not only does Patterson have some excellent ideas on how to effectively use technologies less commonly allowed in classes, including MineCraft worlds, toys, and video games, but he also candidly reveals some of the challenges and pitfalls of these technologies. Be prepared to learn what tech integration really means in the classroom.

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